Part 21 (2/2)
Dew still hung from the lowest branches, making it seem as if the tree were as crouched over as the old man who sat beneath it. This was the first chance Don Fidencio had had to examine the tree without someone talking to him or asking that he make up stories. The trunk itself was wider than the house it loomed over. It was no wonder they had built it several feet away and left room for the long horizontal roots that stretched far beyond the base of the tree. He strained to look up past the first forty feet of the trunk, as the branches became more dense and entangled, eventually blocking out most of the rising sun and leaving only a narrow pa.s.sageway to see where the sky opened up.
He looked down when he heard barking coming from somewhere off in the distance. The dogs had met the taxi at the end of the road and were now growling and yapping at the grille. Carmen finally yelled at them to back away from the doors.
”I hope this isn't too early,” Don Celestino said over the last of the yelps.
She opened the gate to let them pa.s.s. ”We were waiting for you since earlier. I made some food, if you would like to come in.”
”I came only to get my brother and say good-bye,” he told her.
She nodded as she led him to where the old man was sitting on a metal chair with his cane hooked on the armrest. Her grandmother had opened the side door of the house and was waiting for some help getting into the yard.
”You had a good visit?”
”We talked for a long time, until late in the day,” his brother said.
”You remembered more of the story?”
”Some, but later we discussed other things.”
”Then we have something to talk about in the taxi.” Don Celestino handed him the cane, but his brother only held it between his legs without moving.
”And the girl?” Don Fidencio asked.
”She left earlier this morning.”
”Without you?”
”Because of her family,” Don Celestino said. ”Her brother came home and she wanted to see him. He was only going to be there a few days.”
”And you let her go, just like that, by herself on the bus?”
”She wanted to,” he said, trying to avoid his brother's gaze. ”It was her idea.”
The old woman and her granddaughter were now standing near them.
Don Celestino reached down to help him get to his feet. ”We should get going, eh?”
”You have to go alone.”
”Why, you feel bad?” His brother wasn't moving from the chair.
”Not because of that,” the old woman said.
”And then?”
”They invited me to stay, to live here in the house.” Don Fidencio poked at the ground with his cane.
Don Celestino tried to smile at the two women before he looked at his brother. ”But we have to go back, remember?”
”What I remember is where I have to go if I let you take me back.”
”Maybe Amalia will change her mind, after she sees you were strong enough to make the trip.”
”That's what I was thinking when we started talking about coming here,” Don Fidencio said. ”Then last night they took me into town so I could use the phone to call her.”
”Knowing that she was just going to blame me?”
”She never mentioned you. All she cared about was that nothing had happened to me. I told her it was my idea to leave, and now this, what I told you.”
”And she believed you?”
”What else was she going to do? She argued with me like her mother used to, but I told her I had made up my mind. Then she told me that if I came back I could live with her and her family, that she would talk to you know who.” The old man laughed to himself. ”Suddenly I have so many places to live - everybody wants me for themselves.”
”That's what you wanted, no? To go live somewhere else?”
”It was, but I can see now it wouldn't last and they would send me back and this time for good. No, it would be better for me to just stay here.”
”You talk like this is already decided,” Don Celestino said, then reached for his brother's arm. ”It was nice that they offered this to you, but the decision isn't for them to make.”
”If the man wants to stay, tell me who else needs to decide?” the old woman said.
”I only want to do what is best for him, to make sure he's taken care of.”
”And you know better than he does?”
Don Celestino looked back at his brother, hoping to put an end to this discussion. They would have been halfway to the bus station by now if he had simply gotten into the taxi. ”Can I talk to you over here?”
Then he helped him to stand up from his chair, and together they walked toward the shade. The sun was filtering through the branches, causing the delicate light to s.h.i.+ft from one brother to the other.
”Why are you doing this, Fidencio?”
”Just to live in peace.”
”You can do that back on the other side,” he said. ”We need to go now.”
”Then go.”
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